Port Arthur District 5 City Councilman Willie “Bae” Lewis could be a short-timer this term if the man he narrowly beat little more than a month ago is successful in overturning the election results.
A day before the deadline to contest the race, Keith Richard, candidate for the District 5 position, announced he has hired an Austin attorney who will file the necessary paperwork on Friday.
“The easy route would be to let it go and not spend the money, but we believe the citizens’ votes count, and their voices need to be heard,” Richard said.
Richard said there is good evidence of discrepancies in mail-in ballots and a  number of registered voters in Port Arthur who were not given the correct ballots to change the outcome.
Lewis won the election by five votes, 740 to 735.
Richard had originally planned to ask for a recount, but faced with the potential discrepancies, is required by law to contest the election in Jefferson County District Court.
He had 30 days from the date election votes were canvassed on May 20 to do so.
Richard has hired Austin attorney Buck Wood to represent him in district court.
“He believed we had a really, really good case. After looking at the evidence he believed he could prove the discrepancies,” Richard said. “I am very excited, and I am hoping that through this contest it will help get our election process in the right direction and that it will help to eliminate problems we have had in the past with elections.”
Richard asked that anyone in the city who believes they were given wrong ballots, or was unable to vote because they did not have proper identification and should have been given a provisional ballot, to call (512)328-8877.
E-mail: sherry.koonce@panews.com
Twitter: skooncePANews